


Through the Clouds I See Love Shine

by angstysilver



Series: Through the Clouds I See Love Shine [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:03:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstysilver/pseuds/angstysilver
Summary: Billy stares down at the tiny human sleeping peacefully in his arms and considers what an idiot he has been for so long. He knows he doesn’t deserve them - thinks it’s only a matter of time before he does something to fuck it all up one day.(Alternate summary: Grandpa Hopper. Need I say more?)





	Through the Clouds I See Love Shine

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written anything for the Stranger Things fandom but this popped into my head and demanded to be written. I actually had no control.
> 
> I wrote this very quickly and with limited editing so I apologize for any mistakes. This is also my first time tapping to my present tense muscles so I feel like style is a bit shaky. 
> 
>  
> 
> Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and this was written just for fun.
> 
> Fic title is from the song I Want to Know What Love is by Foreigner (because I'm a huge cheeseball).

Billy stares down at the tiny human sleeping peacefully in his arms and considers what an idiot he has been for so long. 

He had been an idiot to think he was going to be able to blow into this shitty little town, do what was left of this time in Neil Hargrove’s house, and then hightail it out of there right after graduation completely unscathed. He’d been an idiot to assume that he would be able to bury his growing interest in and attraction to Steve Harrington beneath a thin layer of contempt and violent rage. And months later, it had been stupid to try to convince himself that he could be just friends with the other boy without revealing his deeper feelings, or that Steve wouldn’t eventually find out what really went on behind closed doors at home. How dumb could he be to not see that falling for Steve meant that he would also be adopting his weird group of misfit ducklings, or that Steve would be the one to give him the kick in the ass he needed to repair his and Max’s relationship. So idiotic not to realize that becoming a member of the party, albeit reluctantly and after many heated conversations amongst the group, meant that he would have Joyce and Hopper backing him up from then on - even against Neil. 

But the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life was to think for even a second that he could never want this - would never want her. The look on Steve’s face when he suggested - demanded - that Steve terminate would haunt him for the rest of his life. And he would spend the rest of his days being grateful to Steve for refusing - for not allowing Billy’s fears of turning out like Neil force them into making a huge mistake. 

Because looking down at her little face, cheeks still red from her boisterous wailing at birth, Billy knows that he could never be like Neil. She has been in the world for less than an hour and Billy is already head over heels. I

Rustling from the hospital bed beside him has Billy tearing his eyes away from his daughter. Steve is waking slowly, exhaustion still evident in the dark smudges beneath is brown eyes. But he smiles brightly when he spots them sitting beside him and shifts himself into a more upright position. Billy carefully scoots closer to gently place her into Steve’s waiting arms.

“I still can’t believe we made her,” Steve breathes in wonder, carefully running a finger down one of her rounds cheeks.

“Me either.” Billy smiles at him, brushing a soft kiss to his forehead. “You did so good, sweetheart.”

Somehow, after all this time, Steve still blushes when Billy calls him that. “I had help,” he says modestly, still gazing at their baby girl.

A soft knock at the door interrupts their family moment and Billy manages to suppress the protective growl that threatens to bubble up from his chest. He already knows who it is - would have been able to guess even if their nurse hadn’t given him a heads up after checking on Steve and the baby. Billy is actually surprised they managed to stay away this long. Steve beckons her in with a wave when Joyce peeks in through the cracked door. Neither of them are surprised to see Hopper following close behind. It’s just the two of them and Billy is grateful that all the kids are still away at their respective colleges for the next few weeks until spring break. As much as he knows Steve loves to have them around, he doubts that Henderson knows how to use his inside voice, even in a hospital room with a sleeping newborn.

Joyce and Hopper creep over to stand beside the bed, both looking down at the sleeping baby with gentle smiles. “Boys, she’s beautiful,” Joyce gushes quietly. 

Steve smiles his thanks to her as Billy watches Hopper. He’s still in his uniform, hat probably forgotten in the passenger seat of the truck in his haste to get inside the hospital. Gazing down at Billy’s little girl for the first time, his expression is softened in a way that’s so rare for the snarky, grumbling man that Billy has come to know so well - come to trust so unexpectedly. In that moment, Billy knows that he and Steve made the right choice.

“Do you want to hold her,” he asks. He’s still watching Hopper, but it takes the older man a minute to realize that he’s being addressed. He glances up at Billy in confusion, probably assuming that they would offer the baby to Joyce first, before his expression clears and he nods.

Billy reaches down and Steve hands him the baby with a small smile, silently reassuring and encouraging Billy in that special way he had perfected over the years. Billy takes a deep breath and walks around the hospital bed to stand in front of Hopper and Joyce, cradling his precious cargo to his chest.

“Uh,” he clears his throat around the small catch. “This is Joanna Joyce Harrington-Hargrove.” His eyes flicker over to Joyce at her small gasp. He gently places Jo in Hopper’s arms, forcing himself to continue around the lump rapidly forming in is throat. “We’re hoping you’ll agree to be her Grandpa.”

Joyce knew it was coming - the boys had talked to her about it months before Steve’s due date - but she still has to place a delicate hand over mouth to stifle her soft sobs. Everyone’s eyes are Hopper as he slowly processes what Billy said, his eyes swiveling between the three other adults in the room.

“Her what?” He questions, eyes finally landing on Billy. 

Billy just stares back at him. He finds that he can’t make his mouth work to repeat himself; he barely got the words out the first time. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if Hopper turns them down - had never considered the possibility that he might. Of course, maybe they should have thought of that. He has Jane, after all. And Billy hadn’t considered that maybe being Jo’s Grandpa could be too much of a painful reminder of the little girl he’d lost years ago. Has Billy misread his unanticipated relationship with Hopper? Has he finally overstepped his bounds and overstayed his welcome in the little family forged by secrets and fear but sustained by love and acceptance? He doesn’t realize how badly his hands are shaking until Steve holds onto one tightly from his bed.

Hopper is speaking before Billy has a chance to backtrack on the request. “Are you sure?” The older man croaks out in a voice strained with emotion.

Billy is sure that he prepared something to say at this moment but he’s afraid that if he opens his mouth he’s going to start bawling. Steve saves his ass, yet again.

“You’re the only father figure in either of our lives that we want influencing our daughter,” he states firmly. 

Hopper blinks rapidly and clears his throat a few times before looking back at Jo, still sound asleep in his arms and completely oblivious to the emotional exchange. “Holy shi- uh, crap. I’m your Grandpa, Princess JJ,” he finally whispers.

It’s at that moment that a harsh sob claws its way up from deep within Billy’s chest and escapes before he has a chance to smother it. He squeezes his eyes shut around the tears that tumble down his cheeks, and hangs his head in embarrassment at the display. He knows he’s still trembling, emotions threatening to overwhelm him and send him flying apart in all directions. But Steve’s thumb rubs soothingly across his knuckles and then a large, firm hand grips his shoulder. He blinks away the tears blurring his vision. Hopper has baby Jo resting securely in his one arm and is using the other to clutch at Billy’s shoulder, anchoring Billy to this spot. He wonders if anyone else notices how reminiscent of the months back in high school this moment is - back when it felt like Steve and Hopper were the only two things in Billy’s life keeping him sane. When he meets Hopper’s gaze, he’s surprised to see his own blue eyes flooded with unshed tears, but the other man’s voice is steady when he speaks again.

“I’m so proud of you, son.” He eyes shift to Steve. “Both of you.”

They both nod, neither of them trusting their voices enough to verbally respond. Joyce, saint that she is, breaks up the heavy emotion in the room by insisting that Hopper hand over the grandbaby. She moves over to sit in Billy’s vacated chair and coos down at her. Hopper stands beside her, still looking a little overwhelmed. Billy is content to perch himself on the edge of Steve’s bed and wrap an arm around his shoulders.

“I knew you were naming her after Billy’s mother,” she starts, glancing up a them. “But you didn’t tell me about her middle name.”

Steve smiles tiredly. “We wanted it to be a surprise. I hope it’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” she says. “I’m honored.”

Hopper lays a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Our first grandbaby. We’re officially old.”

Joyce pulls a face cranes her neck to arch an eyebrow at her husband. “Speak for yourself, old man.”

Billy snorts at them but refrains from making any snide remarks. Steve lays his head on his shoulder, already beginning to drift off again after his exhausting day. Billy pulls him closer, silently thanking him. Not just for Jo, although he would be thanking Steve for bringing her into the world until the day he died - but for making this possible. Now he wishes that the kids had been home for Jo’s birth just to complete this picture - wants them to be crowded in the small room, fighting over who gets to hold her next. He watches Joyce and Hopper fuss over Jo, feels Steve’s solid weight in his arms, and can’t help but wonder how it is that someone like him came to find a family, a home. God help him, but he wants to savor it as much as he can while he has it. Wants to hold on tight and continue to wrestle with his demons in the hopes that one day he’ll be worthy. He knows he doesn’t deserve them - thinks it’s only a matter of time before he does something to fuck it all up one day. 

He knows that Steve would argue - and he hopes with everything in him that he’s right - that he’s an idiot to be thinking that way.

**Author's Note:**

> Um, I wanted this to be fluffy but Billy had to make even this moment angsty.
> 
> What'd you guys think?


End file.
